Trustees President Galen Stoll gave a brief statement before asking if anyone wanted to speak about the proposed TIF.

"First, if we don't have new economic development, we don't have new tax dollars for the township or the schools," Stoll said. "Second, there are no current tax dollars involved; only future and potential tax dollars are included in the TIF. Last, if there are no new economic developments, there will be no new jobs created."

The approved project will be used to help fund the widening of state Route 619 through the development of 10 properties totaling 195 acres, including the Byler farm and H.R. Enterprises properties.

The TIF will redirect 75 percent of the taxes generated from the 10 properties every year for the next 10 years, or until the $2 million needed for the project is paid off. The remaining 25 percent would go to Lake Local Schools.

"Not one dollar is being taken away from tax dollars being received today," Stoll said. "It's only on future tax dollars, and only on those 10 properties. The schools would get 25 percent of the new taxes generated; 25 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing."

One resident asked about the timing of the vote following so closely after the recent election.

Trustee Ellis Erb responded that they have been working on the project for years, and that the timing for the vote follows the timing of the project.

"We have been working diligently on this project for four years," Erb said. "The developers for those properties have said they will not develop the area without the improvement of (Route) 619. We're not trying to fight the schools; we're trying to help the schools. We need commercial development to increase tax revenue."

Erb and Stoll both said if the township didn't improve Route 619 now, there may not be another opportunity for at least 15 years. All of the trustees said they felt that without the improvement, commercial growth would become stagnant in the area.

Erb said that since he has been a trustee, they have improved many dangerous intersections that were bottlenecks, including Market Avenue at State Street and Lake Center at Market. Issues with Mount Pleasant Street were corrected, and Cleveland Avenue was widened.

"We can't possibly raise the money to do this road because it is a state highway, and we can't put a bond levy on because we would need the cooperation of the state and the county," Erb said.

In addition to economic reasons, the trustees cited safety issues involved with widening the road.

Two years ago, a Uniontown police officer was killed in an accident while directing traffic on Route 619.

Page 2 of 2 - "Capt, (Daniel) Stiles was a good friend of mine, and I don't want to see another officer die directing traffic, and that's my motivation to get 619 widened and improved," said Trustee John Arnold.

Utilities will be moved in 2015, with construction scheduled to begin in 2016 and the project expected to be completed in 2017.